Toulouse 2026 : Gael’s view (Day 1)

Okay now it’s here. It officially started. The Symposium is open ! First day was mostly about set-ups, meetings and registrations.

The first thing we did with Raul and Ivan was attending to the education team meeting. We sat in a room and a lot of famous persons started coming in. I know all their instagrams but it’s hard to put names on so many faces. After a small introduction by Annette, the education director,  they split in groups to answer questions about being instructors. Kind of a team-building activity to make them meet each other.  

09:58 Annette and the whole Education team

10:13 Instructors’s team building, do you recognize some faces ?

At the same time, all the art shops were setting up their stands in the art market. Had time for a quick sketch before we went to the faculty tour.

11:18 Art market set up

The faculty tour was a guided visit of Toulouse with all the staff and the education team. We visited the Saint-Sernin Basilica, then the Carmélites chapel and we finished with the Capitole. The guides from @visiteztoulouse were knowledgeful and interesting. Personally, I took the opportunity of this tour to capture the whole USK board. It was the only moment they were not too busy. The visit ended at the restaurant “Le Bibent” and it was delicious !

11:36 The beginning of the faculty tour

Still the faculty Tour (it ended up around 15:30)

With Raul and Ivan, we left the restaurant around 16:30 and went to the hotel to rest a bit, color or drawings and do a small team meeting. Finally, we went back to Baudis for the Opening Ceremony. As you have seen, we got called on stage ! But hopefully, we didn’t have to say anything…  I didn’t stay too long to the buffet because I was so tired (is it just me or the music was way too loud ?). The ham on the left was really tasty tho.

19:32 and 20:14 The Opening Ceremony

That’s all for today, see y’all tomorrow !

Bye,

Gael